Family continues to search for Dylan Redwine: Mom's heart aches but doesn't give up hope

Her son just turned 14 but he wasn't home to celebrate it with his family.

Dylan Redwine had a birthday on Feb. 6 but instead of having cake and opening presents with his loved ones, his family is still trying to find him after he disappeared without a trace.

The teen disappeared on Nov. 19 after going to visit his dad in Vallecito for Thanksgiving. His mom, Elaine Redwine, said when she first got the news that he was missing she thought he would be back the next day. But now it's nearly three months later and Dylan has not been found.

“I've followed all the missing people cases. I've followed the missing children, the missing women and my heart ached for them. You never think it's going to be you in that position,” Redwine cried. “When I was driving up to Durango I thought we'll get a call from one of his friends or we'll find him up in the mountains or something and when it was prolonged I knew someone else was involved because two-and-a-half months later Dylan couldn't have done this himself.”

Redwine said the investigators are doing what they can despite the little information they have. She doesn't believe Dylan just walked away or that he went off somewhere and hitched a ride.

“Vallecito is a small area and if he would have gotten a ride with somebody or if he would have been up in the woods all by himself we would have found something by now,” Redwine said.

She added that if Dylan would have left on his own he would have called her or texted his friends. She said he was looking forward to going to visit his friends. His last text was at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 18. His phone went missing along with his backpack that contained his belongings.

Redwine didn't come out and say her ex-husband Mark Redwine had anything to do with Dylan's disappearance but she does believe he knows more than he's telling anyone.

“I think that those last hours that we can account for Dylan are crucial. I have so many questions and no answers. And everything that he is saying is so uncharacteristic of Dylan,” Redwine said.

When Dylan first went missing Elaine Redwine was interviewed by Good Morning America and Nancy Grace and now the family has an opportunity to be featured on the Dr. Phil show Feb. 13 to get the word out about Dylan however Redwine said her ex wouldn't agree and said he could do it at the end of the month instead.

“It really frustrates me because that's two weeks longer and we could do it next Wednesday. Cory (Dylan's older brother) and I are up for that. Whatever it takes to bring Dylan home we're there,” she said. “We need to come together collectively to find Dylan.”

Keeping the word out

Redwine said it's important to keep Dylan's face out there. Several rallies have taken place with the most recent one on Dylan's birthday in Limbach Park in Monument.

“We have to do something to keep Dylan out there and keep his story and his face out there. I don't want to hold any more rallies I just want him to come home,” an emotional Redwine said. “But if that's what we have to do to keep him out there then that's what we'll do.”

Redwine said they moved to Colorado Springs from Bayfield in July and then eventually moved into their home in Monument. She said the amount of support they have received from the communities is humbling. A spaghetti fundraiser took place at Lewis-Palmer High School recently and brought a lot of money in to go towards the reward. The reward is now more than $50,000.

Dylan Redwine is an eighth grade student at Lewis-Palmer Middle School and Redwine said he was enjoying school and had made a lot of friends. She said he is looking forward to high school next year.

Holding on to hope

Redwine said other stories about missing children that have returned home give her hope that her son will return home.

“I have to cling to hope. It's not something you can touch, it's not something you can see. It's something you feel. I have hope that Dylan will come home safe.”

Every time the phone rings she has a glimmer of hope that it will be Dylan calling. Their weekends are spent going down to Durango searching for him, visiting the sheriff's office for any information.

Until Dylan comes home life is on hold. Elaine Redwine has returned to her job but her thoughts are consumed with finding her son, wondering what happened to him. She said they didn't celebrate Christmas but only gathered together as a family for the sake of her mom who has terminal cancer.

“We just want someone to come forward and let us know. Any little tidbit may help us, may crack it (the case) right open. We just want Dylan home,” she said.

If anyone has any information leading to the whereabouts of Dylan Redwine they are asked to call the La Plata County Crime Stoppers at 970-247-1112 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.